[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 18, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 50843-50844]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20594]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 159 / Wednesday, August 18, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 50843]]

                Proclamation 8546 of August 13, 2010

                
75th Anniversary of the Social Security Act

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 
                signed into law the Social Security Act to protect 
                ordinary Americans ``against the loss of a job and 
                against poverty-ridden old age.'' Our Nation was 
                entrenched in the Great Depression. Unemployment neared 
                20 percent, and millions of Americans struggled to 
                provide for themselves and their families. In the midst 
                of all this, the Social Security Act brought hope to 
                some of our most vulnerable citizens, giving elderly 
                Americans income security and bringing us closer to 
                President Roosevelt's vision of a Nation free from want 
                or fear.

                As our country recovers from one of the greatest 
                economic challenges since that time, we are grateful 
                for President Roosevelt's perseverance, and for the 
                countless public servants whose efforts produced the 
                Social Security program we know today. Seventy-five 
                years later, Social Security remains a safety net for 
                seniors and a source of resilience for all Americans. 
                Since 1935, it has been expanded to include dependent 
                and survivor benefits, disability insurance, and 
                guaranteed medical insurance for seniors through 
                Medicare. It is a lasting promise that we can retire 
                with dignity and peace of mind, that workers who become 
                disabled can support themselves, and that families who 
                suffer the loss of a loved one will not live in 
                poverty.

                My Administration is committed to strengthening our 
                retirement system and protecting Social Security as a 
                reliable income source for seniors, workers who develop 
                disabilities, and dependents. After a lifetime of 
                contributions to our Nation and its economy, Americans 
                have earned this support. The new health care law, the 
                Affordable Care Act, helps sustain this commitment and 
                improves the long-term outlook of the Social Security 
                program. My Administration is dedicated to safeguarding 
                Social Security's promise of retirement with dignity 
                and security.

                On the 75th anniversary of the Social Security Act, let 
                us ensure we continue to preserve this program's 
                original purpose in the 21st century. Together, we can 
                give our children and our grandchildren the same 
                protections we have cherished for decades, and in doing 
                so, lead our Nation to a brighter day.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim August 14, 2010, as 
                the 75th Anniversary of the Social Security Act. I call 
                upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate 
                ceremonies and activities that recognize the historic 
                legacy of the Social Security Act, as well as the vital 
                safety net it provides to millions of Americans.

[[Page 50844]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2010-20594
Filed 8-17-10; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-W0-P